Monthly Archives: January 2015

A heads-up for anyone in the New York area that the Deadline Club (SPJ's local NY chapter) has begun their call for entries for their 2015 competition.

"The 2015 contest covers work that was published or broadcast in 2014 by news organizations from the New York metropolitan area."

Here's the description of the radio category:

25. Radio or Audio Reporting Spot news, feature, series or investigative report on any topic. Entries may be a single broadcast or a series of up to three parts. Complete entries may be up to 30 minutes long, and may be edited to length. Open to radio and satellite networks, local radio stations and digital media, including streaming audio and podcasts.

It's been a while since our last themes list, but this year we're going to try something a little different. Instead of a long list of themes once every four months, we're going to be sending out a shorter list once every 1.5 – 2 months.

As always, pitch us an audio movie from the point of view of someone facing a unique struggle with a thought-provoking (or just plain entertaining) resolution.

And, as always, no profiles or topical stories. Of course, we welcome stories with interesting characters and interesting topics, but we also need a plot driving the narrative forward. Ideally, the story should be told mostly by the main character.

This round's themes may seem serious at first blush, but we welcome any and all silly twists.

Lord of the Flies

A story in which any group of people (adults, kids, dogs) find themselves stuck together for whatever reason and things go south. Think classrooms, summer camps, business conferences, family reunions, lifeboats, and — yes — deserted islands.

The Peerage

Stories that take place in (or on the periphery of) an elite circle. The House of Lords, Skull & Bones, the first 50 Google employees, the cool clique at school. Stories about being inducted (or kicked out of) of a special world. Stories about people who think they're special and learn that they're not, or vice-versa. Stories of people who want in … or out.

The River

Stories involving … well … rivers, both literal and metaphoric. The Ganges, the Mississippi, the Nile, the Styx. A journey down a river not knowing where it goes, or up in search of a mysterious source. A life lived on the bank of a river watching it change. Some kind of bridge or treacherous crossing in life's journey. The metaphors go on and on…

Any Really Good Story

Remember, the themes are there just to get your mind churning. If you have a good story that doesn't fit one of these themes (or even fits a theme that already aired!), we're going to help you produce it anyways, because we want it on our show ASAP.

Up to 16 journalists will be chosen to attend the conference, to be held April 7-10 at Georgia State University in Atlanta. IJJ will pay for travel and other expenses. As part of their applications, journalists must propose an enterprise project on immigrant children and families for publication or broadcast. Each fellow will receive a $500 stipend upon completion of the story project.

The conference will include:

A seminar on immigration law with attorney Dan Kowalski, a very popular teacher and editor of Bender’s Immigration Bulletin.

A hands-on workshop on investigative techniques with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Martha Mendoza of the Associated Press, an acclaimed FOIA expert.

An interactive workshop on finding and interpreting data with Laura Speer of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, who oversees the Kids Count Data Center, which collects and analyzes the most comprehensive and latest statistics about U.S. children.

Panel discussions with experts on health issues, education inequities and upcoming legislation impacting immigrant families. There will be special emphasis on the South, where immigrant families are growing the fastest and children face some of the biggest hurdles in health and well-being.

Like minds in Michigan – no pay, but definitely worth it for the networking/support of it all. Details below.

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I'm thrilled to announce that members of the Detroit-area audio group I'm involved in, the Smitten Mitten Audio Collective, have started doing a quarterly listening event for which we are seeking your submissions. We kicked things off last month in Ann Arbor to a packed house. Details on what we're looking for and how you can submit are below…

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (( RADIO CAMPFIRE ))

Radio Campfire is an event series for creative audio stories. We gather round to listen, imagine and enjoy an evening of memorable radio documentaries, soundscapes and experimental sonic shorts. Think relaxed, magical and intimate, like the campfire (minus the burnt marshmallows.)

We are now accepting submissions for our second event, on March 27th at the Matrix Theater in Southwest Detroit. The theme is 'Warmth'. Think broadly. We're listening for audio works about sun, summer, fires, spring, comfort, affection, kindness, lack of warmth, desire for warmth… surprise us!

What we're looking for: ~ 2-8 minute pieces you might have related to our theme.~ 2-8 minute pieces you've heard from other producers that might relate to our theme. ~ 1 minute audio super-shorts related to the theme. (A good excuse to get into the audio sandbox & make something new!)

Radio Campfire is curated and hosted by a small group of radio producers and audio artists in Southeast Michigan. Radio Campfire Counselors include Shannon Cason, Renee Gross, Laura Herberg, Juliet Hinely, Kyle Norris, Zak Rosen, and Stephanie Rowden.

Now accepting submissions

The French-American Foundation is seeking meaningful, visionary stories on under-reported topics with a strong social justice component and with the potential to advance public debate on the issue. The Foundation particularly seeks both creative content and format, and all types of stories will be considered (local, global, cultural, economic, etc.). All stories are expected to comply with journalism ethics of fairness and responsibility.

Eligibility

The Immigration Journalism Fellowship is open to journalists with an interest in immigration and integration. The French-American Foundation and its international jury are looking for journalists with a minimum of three years of professional journalism experience, with outstanding achievements in the field and the ability to work in English or French (the final work must be published in either language).

When applying, candidates must have already secured a commitment from a European or U.S. media outlet to publish the work produced. Journalists can apply individually, but teams of up to three journalists can also apply for a single fellowship and share the funds toward completing their project. Freelance journalists are welcome to apply.

Abuelos (Grandparents):Stories about older Latinas and Latinos, our relationships with them, and the things we learn from them. Also welcome are stories about surprises in family histories, coverage of elder healthcare, and elders who live unusual lifestyles (for example, re-entering society after being incarcerated, serving as figurative grandparents, etc.).

Reading:Highlighting Latin@ literature for people of all ages, but also including stories about perception and misperception.

Censored:Stories about being gagged, muzzled or pressured about what to say or not to say. We also want to look at how ethnic media in the US are sometimes censored or edited in ways mainstream or white media is not. And we’re interested in stories about the relative dangers of being a journalist or writer in a Latin American country.

I Woke Up Like This:Stories about confidence (or the lack of it), including shyness in schools, stage fright or brilliance, and learning to deal with issues like identity and mental health.

Crazy in Love:We love love stories. ‘Nuf said.

In/Flux:Playing with words: we hear about an “influx” of immigrants all the time; our identity as a country is in flux, and other stories about transitional periods.

The Transportation Show:Stories about cars, planes, trains, and getting around (figurative “getting around” is all right, too).

IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, PLEASE READ THIS:

We’re looking especially at rural communities in California and issues related to their health, as well as water scarcity and how Latinos are dealing with it. We’re also searching for stories that help us make links when it comes to the “school to prison pipeline”—all the way from being suspended, lacking job skills and dropping out of school, to the lives of prisoners themselves and how they came to be where they are. We also want to examine who stands to profit when people are incarcerated.

Rough Cuts is currently seeking documentaries in post for our next event on Tuesday, March 10th at the Dolby Screening Room in San Francisco

We are seeking long-form works with a final running time of 40 minutes or longer. Principal photography should have been completed, and we encourage filmmakers to submit cuts that are in the later stages of post-production (i.e. NOT first or second cuts).

This seminar has been specially designed to teach and encourage audio producers and creative writers to reimagine the world around them, foster their creativity and sharpen their writing skills. To produce a successful audio program many skills are required, from research and journalism to sound storytelling to app designing, in addition to a considerable dose of observation, creativity and writing.

Produced by UnionDocs in partnership with Mathilde Walker-Billaud and Pejk Malinovski, the seminar will go into the various creative practices of site-specific audio interventions. It will offer technical tools and skill sets for navigating through this medium and finding your own path in this emergent art.

Radio audiences today have been liberated from the time and space limitations and can listen to audio anywhere at anytime: at home or at work, in the subway or in the streets, while queuing at the stores or taking a walk along the river. Technological developments have sparked a new generation of tours and sonic experiences through site-specific audio programs that are easily downloadable on mobile devices: a recorded and intimate voice guides an individual in a place and plays with the body, the imagination, the memory and the surroundings.

Over the course of three days, 10 to 14 participants will learn from a team of seasoned guest speakers and practitioners — radio auteurs, theater artists, writers, entrepreneurs, documentarists. The seminar will explore site-specific storytelling, sound design, audience engagement, instruction-based practice and more. Workshops, discussions, exercises, walks in the city (Field trips on Friday and Saturday) and a work-in-progress critique will help put this new knowledge into practice.

Pejk Malinovski, radio producer and poet, will lead the seminar as main instructor.

When: Friday, February 13 – Sunday, February 15, 10am-6pm

Where: UnionDocs, 322 Union Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Who is eligible?

Open to everyone. We are looking for students, radio producers, media artists, app designers and writers interested in places, audio practice and writing.

Give us an idea of who you are and why you are coming. When you register you will be asked for a short statement of interest that should briefly describe your experience in audio practice and a project idea (if you have one), plus a bio. There’s a spot for a link to a work sample and CV, which would also be nice, but is not required.

Please note: Participants are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Focus is on discussions, observation, imagination and writing. The goal is to develop your project conceptually.

Cost:

$385 early bird registration by January 30th.

$450 regular

Please note that the service charge is waived if payment is made via check.

Checks can be made out to UnionDocs and mailed to 322 Union Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211.

Technology Requirements:

In order to keep costs down, this workshop is a b-y-o-m, bring your own material (laptop, headphones, recorder). Students must be fully proficient using and operating their computers.

Schedule:

(subject to change)

Day 1: Site-specific storytelling

Main Instructor: Pejk Malinovski

Guest Instructor : Alexandra Horowitz

The first day of the seminar looks in-depth at the ways we can tell stories about neighborhoods and specific places. It will include one field trip.

Day 2 : On-location participatory projects

Guest Instructor: Ant Hampton

The second day of the intensive focuses on writing and producing live interventions in an urban context. It will include one field trip.

Day 3 : The listener’s experience

Guest Instructor: Kara Oehler

The third day explores the multiple ways to build an audio itinerary and the possible tools to interact with the walker/listener. The afternoon will include exercises, discussions and project critiques.

Each day follows this general structure, with some minor variations and substitutions:

For the health/development fellowships, we have a strong preference for in-depth reporting from countries we've traveled to recently–India, Zambia, Tanzania, Brazil, Ethiopia, Mozambique–as well as other countries of focus–Nigeria, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea, among others.

The health/development fellowships are supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Religion

Applicants may propose any stories that relate to religion, including its role as a source of tension or conflict; its relationship to politics, economics or access to health, housing or clean water; its impact on art and culture, religion and human rights; or other issues.

For the religion fellowships, we encourage applicants to propose stories and destinations not covered by recent IRP fellows.

The religion fellowships are supported by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.

More Details

Applications will be considered as they are submitted on a rolling basis until Monday, March 16.

The time spent in the field is flexible; fellows may propose to report for two to seven weeks. Fellows may also choose to extend their fellowships at their own cost.

IRP will purchase the fellows' roundtrip air tickets to and from their homes and destinations, but all other travel must be arranged and paid by the fellow. IRP will offer a stipend based, in part, upon the budgets that all applicants must submit.

Travel on these fellowships must take place no sooner than two months, and no later than four months, after the fellowship is awarded. For example, someone awarded a fellowship on March 30 may not begin travel before May 30 and must initiate travelno later than July 30.

Prayerful politicians.Jason Plautz reported on evangelicals in Brazil in 2014.

How to Apply

Each proposal must include an essay of at least 1,000 words describing the stories they would produce during the fellowship. All essays must be in English. However, the stories and other updates produced by the international Fellows may be in English or in other languages. IRP encourages stories in a variety of media, including print, online, radio, television, photography, blog posts, social media and video.

Applicants are also required to submit a budget, which assists in determining the amount of the stipend. Typical costs include domestic transportation; fixers or translators; hotel accommodations; visas; food; and any other expenses related to reporting internationally. Fellows are not required to submit receipts or post-fellowship expense reports.

A telephone interview with finalists will also be a part of the selection process.

All of the fellows’ stories will be republished on the IRP website and co-owned by the fellow (or his/her distribution partners, depending on agreements) and the IRP.

Deadline to enter: April 1, 2015

Instructions for Entering:

To access the entry forms, click on the entry forms below. If you register on SEJ.org and are signed in, your contact information will autofill. Please note that registrations are not automatically approved. SEJ will make every effort to approve your registration on sej.org in a timely way, but if you register after 11pm eastern time, you will most likely have to wait until morning to be approved.

Below you will find the definitions and entry forms for SEJ’s 2015 categories. When you have selected your category, prepare the materials you will need for entering. Once your materials are assembled, click the name of the category (below) to open the online form. Follow the instructions at the top of the form. Some fields have instructions written below them. Please take note of all instructions!

Materials needed:

• PDFs* or links to each story, commentary or photo
• Radio entries: MP3 files, 20MB max.
• Confirmation that your entry ran or aired during the contest period: 3/1/2014 – 2/28/2015, or that your book was published in 2014. **
• Broadcast transcript if you enter radio or television stories, or if your online entry includes audio/video components
• Broadcast run time
• Credit card for immediate online payment. (You can opt to send a check on the online payment site.)

Note: Cover letters are no longer required. If you want to include a cover letter, you can upload it along with other supplemental materials in the space provided.

Book entries: Enter the contest using the online entry form below. After submitting your form and payment, ship four copies of your book and a printout of the online entry form to Chris Bruggers, Director of Awards (address below). Note: even if you ship your entries, you must still complete an online form. ELECTRONIC BOOKS: Include detailed instructions on how to access the book. Please include the formats available to read the book. If a special reader app is needed, supply the name of the app to seach for in the entry form’s “Reader App” field. If your book cannot be accessed without payment, you must supply the cost of four books plus $1.38 for postage so the director can send reimbursements to judges. If the reader app must be purchased, include the cost for four purchases. Make your check out to Christine Bruggers, SEJ Awards Director, and send to the address listed below. Please don’t make your check out to SEJ or send to the SEJ office because this will cause delays in getting your book to judges.

Print entries: low-resolution PDF of your entry stories. (Check your category for the allowable number of stories and other details.) (Help with low-resolution or combined PDFs) If you are unable to supply links or low-res PDFs, you may ship four copies of your entries to awards director Chris Bruggers at the address listed below. Please include a printout of the online form. Be sure to follow the preparation rules. Note: even if you ship your entries, you must still complete an online form.

Online and broadcast entries: web links to Internet pages where your television, radio or online news story can be viewed or listened to. Radio entries may upload MP3 files (20MB maximum) (Check your category for the allowable number of stories and other details.) If you are unable to supply links, you may ship four copies of your entries to awards director Chris Bruggers at the address listed below. Please include a copy of the online form. Be sure to follow the preparation rules. Note: even if you ship your entries, you must still complete an online form.

Follow the preparation rules for preparing your entries for shipping. Shipped entries that are incorrectly prepared will not be sent to judges. Please pay special attention to the instructions, since your payment is non-refundable.

ENTRY FEES

After completing your entry form, the payment site will open. Please pay your fee immediately after submitting your entry form. For those needing to pay by check, the payment site includes a check option. Your entry will not be processed for judging until payment is received.

$40 US Funds: Member Rate
You must already be a member of SEJ to enter at the member rate. If you are unsure of your membership status, please contact SEJ at sej@sej.org or (215) 884-8174.

$80 US Funds: Prospective Member Rate
To enter SEJ’s awards contest at this rate, you must complete a membership application.Please note on your application in the comments field at the end that you are applying for membership with your contest entry.) Please complete your membership application as soon as possible after submitting your entry.

This special discounted $80 fee is only for non-members who are joining SEJ for the first time. It covers your first year of membership (discounted) as well as the contest fee.

$100 US Funds: Non-member Rate

ENTRY FORMS

Deadline to enter: April 1

Read the descriptions carefully, then click on the name of the category you want to enter to open the corresponding entry form. Have your electronic files and web links ready. You can save a draft of the entry form to complete later, but once you click submit, you won’t be able to access the form. If you need to change or add anything, contact Chris Bruggers.

CLICK TO ENTER: Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding In-depth Reporting, Large Market: An investigative report or series on a single environmental topic, published between March 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015. Related stories published on the same day count as one part. TV & Radio stories must not exceed 60 minutes; Print and Online series must not exceed five parts. Multimedia links may be included as supplemental materials. Eligibility: Print media: circulation of 200,000 average daily circulation or more, according to the latest audited figures; TV & Radio: national networks in the U.S. and elsewhere and top 20 markets in the U.S. as determined by Nielsen; Online: Online news organizations with 50 or more employees. Small-market entities collaborating with large-market entities qualify as large-market. PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links are accepted.

CLICK TO ENTER:Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding In-depth Reporting, Small Market: An investigative report or series on a single environmental topic, published between March 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015. Related stories published on the same day count as one part. TV & Radio stories must not exceed 60 minutes; Print and Online series must not exceed five parts. Multimedia links may be included as supplemental materials. Eligibility: All outlets and publications falling outside the large-market definition. Small-market entities collaborating with large-market entities qualify as large-market. PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links are accepted.

CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Beat Reporting, Large Market: Up to five broadcast or published news reports and/or commentary on a broad range of environmental topics published between March 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015. Entry must be the work of an individual, either alone or with a small supporting team. Related stories published or aired on the same day count as one story. TV & Radio entries must have a combined total running time of no more than 60 minutes. Eligibility: Print media: circulation of 200,000 average daily circulation or more, according to the latest audited figures; TV & Radio: national networks in the U.S. and elsewhere and top 20 markets in the U.S. as determined by Nielsen; Online: Online news organizations with 50 or more employees. Small-market entities collaborating with large-market entities qualify as large-market. PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links are accepted.

CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Beat Reporting, Small Market: Up to five broadcast or published news reports and/or commentary on a broad range of environmental topics published between March 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015. Entry must be the work of an individual, either alone or with a small supporting team. Related stories published or aired on the same day count as one story. TV & Radio entries must have a combined total running time of no more than 60 minutes. Eligibility: All TV, Radio, Print and Online publications falling outside the large-market definition. Small-market entities collaborating with large-market entities qualify as large-market. PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links, are accepted.

CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Feature Story: One environmental interest story not directly tied to a recent news event with an emphasis on storytelling, while also including an explanatory aspect that sheds light on our environment and gives details to concepts or ideas. Entries must be about environmental issues and published between March 1, 2014 and February 28, 2015. Multi-part stories, sidebars and other supplemental material are prohibited. Eligibility: All TV, Radio, Print and Online entities. PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links are accepted.

CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Photography: Up to five photographs on one or more environmental topics, published between March 1, 2014 and February 28, 2015. Only photos published as photojournalism will be accepted. Entered photos must not be manipulated or digitally enhanced in a way that changes the content and/or context of the image. A caption that describes the event or situation captured in the photograph must be included for each photo entered. Photos must be submitted as JPEG files, maximum 2MB.